Some of ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder’s most essential employees, those on the frontlines who help keep the campus running from day to day as custodians, Housing and Dining cooks and staff in other positions, are advancing their English proficiency through the Employee English Language Program.
A little over a year in, the program, offered jointly by Human Resources and the , has been a huge success with over 60 participants.
One unique aspect about the program is that it involves not just the participants, but also their supervisors to identify strong candidates and job-related subject matter that would be helpful to focus on.
The program has partnered with Athletics, Housing and Dining Services, Facilities Management, the University Memorial Center, the Student Recreation Center and Wardenburg Health Center.
Also, participants are granted work-release permission, working ahead on tasks so they can attend classes during their regular work hours.
The program is designed to enhance recruitment and retention of employees and encourage a spectrum of collaboration, from the participants and their colleagues to cross-campus partners.
Additionally, the program has a career development effect, boosting participants’ skills and confidence.
One department reported having 17 internal applicants for a lead position opening, which was record, attributed in part to the Employee English Language Program.
Represented are a diversity of native languages including Chinese, Nepali, Lao, Spanish, Tibetan and Vietnamese.
